Sep 23, 2013

Cheesy baked spaghetti squash and baby spinach – a comforting, cheesy dish, without the guilt. Perfect for Meatless Mondays or any day of the week!

I am down to the last few days of finishing up the cookbook, so forgive me for not posting more recipes. But since it's Monday, I thought this delicious meatless dish from the archives would be perfect for this beautiful Fall day.

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you, I think you are all going to love this dish. I was craving something cheesy, without all the carbs from macaroni and came up with this.

I basically swapped the pasta from my Skinny Macaroni and Cheese recipe with spaghetti squash and was really impressed with the results.

No, spaghetti squash does not taste like pasta, it's slightly sweeter and of course a vegetable rather than a grain, but we all loved this dish. Even my husband gave it a thumbs up – I think we all found our favorite way to east this squash.

It can be prepared ahead, then baked just before ready to
serve. I reheated leftovers in the microwave for lunch the next day and it was just as good as when I first made it.

If you are looking for a dish that is gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian and comforting, give this a try. Serve this as a main dish, or as a side dish. I think this would even freeze and reheat well, if anyone tries this let me know!

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Place squash on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Separate the strands of squash with a fork and place in a medium bowl; discard shells. Maintain the oven temperature.

Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in flour. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continually 3 - 4 minutes.

Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking, raising heat to
medium-high until it comes to a boil and becomes smooth and thick,
about 2 minutes stirring; season with salt and pepper.

Once it becomes thick, remove from heat, add cheddar cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked spaghetti squash and baby spinach, pour into a baking dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 7 cups.

431 comments
:

I have not tried this yet, but did buy spaghetti squash to try one of your other recipes this week. Maybe I will do this one instead. I am making your pasta fagioli right now and had to comment. You are truly talented in the kitchen. Almost every meal I make comes from your site. Thank you for sharing your gift with me. I will be buying a cookbook when it is complete!

I have been looking for healthy spaghetti squash recipes without the traditional pasta sauce on top, but couldn't find anything worth trying out. I love the skinny mac and cheese, so I can't wait to try this.

I was craving some spaghetti squash for dinner tonight and imagine my happiness when I came to your website to check your recipes and your newest recipe is a spaghetti squash recipe! Plus, I had all of the ingredients. It is in my oven right now and I will say it tasted delicious before I put it in the oven so it HAS to taste even better when I take it out.

Gina, I look forward to seeing your recipes every day! You have made cooking easy, and you have given me so many ideas - I am trying new things and learning new things every day. Thank you for your delicious, healthy recipes! XOXO

I will give this recipe a shot. My usual spaghetti squash recipe isn't as kid friendly. I bake the squash and then toss with EVOO, garlic powder, chopped basil, halved grape tomatoes, zucchini or asparagus, and then some feta crumbles. Me and the hubby love it, but my 3 year old says, "Dis is really, really, really not good, Mom!" I think cheesy spag. squash will go over much better with him. :) Thanks for the recipe!

As another reader commented above, I also came to your site for another spaghetti squash recipe, found this, and made it tonight. We added a few additional vegetables...broccoli, mushrooms, and some red and orange bell peppers. SO DELICIOUS! This is my new go to spaghetti squash recipe.

I don't understand comments like these - it is fine if you try a recipe and it was not as good as you would have hoped, but here you are only going on the photograph. What is gained by you saying it looks unappealing without even trying it?

Can I use all chicken broth instead of milk? I would like this to be dairy free for me and I have a great dairy free cheese I like (Daiya) however I don't like the taste of almond milk in savoury recipes. Perhaps I could use soy milk? However I would prefer to use just broth and I'm wondering how you think that would turn out. Thank you! Love your recipes! xxoo

This looks sooooo good, but I don't think I'd get my husband to eat it, even though I know he'd love it. I'd have to call it something else so that he didn't know in advance that it's squash he's eating.

Every time I make Spaghetti Squash it has a lot of liquid after it comes out of the oven. Is there something I am doing wrong? I have tried to let it sit for a while after it cook, but that doesn't seem to help either. I really want to try this dish, but I'm afraid it will be watery....anyone have any suggestions????

Is it possible for food to be beautiful? This dish is beautiful and I just happen to have a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter that needs to be something. Now I know what it will be! Thanks. Sharing this with my readers in Wednesday's BLOG HOP! :)

I love this type of squash, but found so hard to cut. I found that you can poke holes in it with a meat fork like a baked potato and cook in the microwave. Then a lot easier to cut. Just scrape out the seeds with an ice cream scoop.

This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! I check your website each day to see if there are new recipes. I saw this this morning and made sure to go to the store and buy spaghetti squash. I ended up making it for lunch. With your help (and delicious recipes), my hubby and I have each lost 27 lbs following WW (around 55lbs altogether). Thank you for all of your great ideas and having the PP+ values figured out. Keep it up! :)

So here is the dish on this dish...Just made this and it is so delicious. I did not have spinach so I subsituted w/Kale. I will make this again. My next Quiona dish will be making it like a baked ziti. Thank you Gina for all your wonderful recipes!!!

Omigosh, so many spaghetti squash recipes! I've wanted to try them for so long and finally found a couple in my small town supermarket, but now I don't know which recipe of yours to try because they all look so good! May try this one tonight! Perfect timing, you have. :p

I just made this, and OH MY GOSH....it's delicious!!! It was my first time cooking with (and eating!) spaghetti squash, and it was wonderful. I used frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) since I didn't have fresh on hand. It turned out really well. Thanks for the great recipe!!

This looks really good. I'm definitely going to have to try it. I was just at the market and saw spaghetti squash and almost bought it but then couldn't think of any interesting way to cook it. I will definitely have to buy some on my next run out!

Made this for dinner last night with a small piece of chix on the side. Everyone loved it! I cut down on the squash cooking time by microwaving for 14 minutes cut side down on a wet papertowel. It was yummy! Thank you!

This was delicious! Made this as a side to your baked parm chicken, and my boyfriend and I just devoured every bite! I've been in a cooking rut...you're wonderful recipes have re-awaken my love for healthy cooking! Love your site, keep up the great work!!!

I've never tried or even cooked spaghetti squash before and when I saw this recipe, I HAD to try it so. I'm making it right now and I tasted it before it went into the oven and holy snikees it's SO delicious! I've cooked many of your recipes and you've transformed me into a better cook. Thank you so much!

Your recipes ROCK Gina :) This was soooo delicious...it almost felt like I was cheating. I have tried numerous recipes from this site, and they were all amazing!! Keep em coming! You are helping in my weight loss journey...I'm less than a pound from goal weight!

I'm not a huge squash fan, but this recipe might have turned me into one! I used only a quarter of the cheese it calls for and added some garlic pesto and mushrooms. It was a delicious twist with even less fat!

This was amazing!! Made it last night and wasn't quite sure if my hubby would like it. He's never had spaghetti squash. He absolutely LOVED it!!! He also said that it didn't make him feel blaoted after 2 servings and didn't upset his tummy. YAY!!! It tastes like a dish you'd have at a swanky restaurant. I can't wait to make it again!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it <3

By far, one of your best ideas. I added a little hot sauce, Italian dry seasonings and garlic powder. Got very excited when I realized 8 oz of cheese was not just one cup! Had seen a full fat version of this recipe and realize now that it's not even remotely worth it.

Made this yesterday with my hubby looking over my shoulder. As a longtime hater of spaghetti squash, he wasn't very pleased with my choice to make this. But the smell coming out of the oven... YUM (his comment... "wow that's better than I expected")! I caught him digging into a piece while it was cooling and he admitted this recipe made him a convert. You are wonderful in the kitchen, Gina! Never stop coming up with these wonderful recipes!

This is the first time I ever tried spaghetti squash and this recipe is delicious! My husband loves it too. I made it ahead and baked it a few hours later. I used a whole 6 oz bag of baby spinach instead of the 4 oz listed. It is light and delicate, yet holds up well and is a very complimentary side dish. It makes a lot for just 2 people, but there won't be a problem finishing it up. As Gina said, it reheats well. One reader commented on excess liquid with spaghetti squash, but I didn't have that problem with this recipe until it sat in the refrigerator for a couple of days - then I just poured the excess liquid off. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I plan to serve it the next time I have company.

I used this as a base for an all-in-one meal last night ... I added garlic, mushrooms, sweet peas and turkey bacon, and used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Let me say this ... we've eaten A LOT of spaghetti squash in MANY different ways and this was by far the BEST spaghetti squash we've ever had. My boyfriend's brother was over as well and I barely managed to hide a small portion for my lunch today before the two of the devoured every last bite. I have three more squashes at home and I can guarantee at least one of them will be prepared in exactly this same way. So thank you for the inspiration!

1. If you plan to eat it again later, dont add the spinach. It turned into the consistancy of canned spinach (eeeek) and my husband was not happy! I think broccoli would be great!

2. Mine was soupy. i think its because the oven makes the squash release its moisture more. So, next time, Ill just stick mine under the broiler to melt the cheese and toast the breadcrumb but not realy bake it.

Thank you, Gina! Another fantastic recipe! I wanted a little spice, so I added a chopped jalapeno and a small can of diced green chiles. I also halved the cheddar and replaced it with 4 oz. of pepperjack cheese. OH. MY. So good! According to my WW Recipe Builder, the pepperjack upped the WW points to 9 points for 6 large servings. It made a lot, thankfully, and we can't wait for dinner tonight! You rock!

I made this tonight for a different kind of "pasta" night. It got 5 Stars from my Hubby as well. It was served with left over Chinese BBQ Pork that was homemade as well.

I made personal adjustments to the recipe. It probably took closer to 7-8 minutes for the sauce to thicken up and the tempurature was too high at 375F and made the squash too cooked. 350F is better. But, that is why you wanted the feedback. Great recipe.

I made this tonight and I LOVED it. I wasn't sure if the cheese sauce would be enough but it coated everything perfectly. It did come out a little liquidy once I baked it even though once I mixed everything it wasn't liquidy. I might try what someone else said about straining the squash. But I just used a slotted spoon to scoop my portion and there wasn't as much liquid. It was just the right amount of cheesy. I would definitely make it again and maybe use broccoli. I love how the cheese sauce came out and I might use that to some veggies. Who doesn't love cheese?!

I forgot to mention that mine came out with a different PP value but I think it's because I used Skim Plus milk (which has a higher PP value) than regular skim. Anyone making any changes should just plug it into recipe builder to find out the new PP value.

I am new to the world of blogging but felt compelled to say how wonderful and fun this site is. I have been using recipes for a few years on this site and have never been dissapointed. THank you Gina. Also,,, my very picky dauagter after some coaxing not to get hung up on the squash instead of pasta loved it!!

This was so good! I made it with broccoli instead of spinach. Next time I'm going to toss the broccoli in the sauce before mixing it in with the squash so that it gets fully covered, because some of it tasted burnt. That was my fault, though, not the recipe's.

Gina, this looks AMAZING, as do all your recipes. I will have some leftover buttermilk from your cauliflower mash (a huge fav of both mine AND my full-fat-loving husband's) - do you think that would work in place of skim? If so, any idea how it would affect the Points+ value?

Well, I decided to give it a go and thought I'd report back :) I tried it with the buttermilk tonight and it was delicious!! I reduced it on the stovetop for longer (more like 5 mins), and might have even gone a couple mins extra next time, but it worked perfectly well. Served with roasted brussels sprouts for a classic, sub-10 point plus comfort meal!

THANK YOU GINA, you are a lifesaver - never could have stuck with WW without you!!

What a great idea! I am trying cooking with spaghetti squash for the first time and this dish is in the oven right now. I tasted some from the spoon and it's yummy. However, mine is more like soup :( I was going to add in more cheese, but I had already calculated the WW points plus value and didn't want to adjust it! Way healthier alternative to pasta - glad I came across it!

I have to add my comments to the long line of comments - this stuff is awesome!! I was sure the points were wrong because it's so good (I always think that about your recipes and they are always right!!) My husband was also skeptical but loved it. I eat it alone for lunch but when I served it for dinner I made chicken breasts cooked on top of the stove with oo spray, sprinkled with cayenne pepper and garlic salt - or chicken sausage. I love your site - always telling my coworkers and friends to look at it.

I am looking to make this tonight. I have never roasted/cooked a spaghetti squash. I read thru the comments and noticed a few for roasting in the oven and microwave options. Is there going to be a taste differnce for one method over the other? It looks like microwaving would save some time; cooking about 20 minutes the spaghetti squash (that has been pricked/poked) correct?

I made this last Thursday, and my husband couldn't get enough! I beat him to the left overs on Sunday, and he was so bummed he didn't get anymore. I baked some chicken breasts while the spaghetti squash was cooking, cut them up into cubes, and added them to them mixture. It turned out so great! I will definitely make this again soon!

Amy, cut the spaghetti squash in half and put it insides down in about 1/4 inch of water and microwave for ~10 minutes depending on how big the squash is. I did ~8 minutes for each half, separately. To test if it's ready, just press the rind; it's ready if it gives in.

This was so incredibly delicious. When I first tasted the sauce I was pleasantly surprised at how rich it tasted, especially considering that skim milk was used. I gobbled this up.Thank you so much for making Weight Watchers easier and more fun to follow. There's so much to be said for a healthy, comfort food that isn't going to cost too many points. Thanks again!

I just found this site and the recipes look amazing. I love spaghetti squash and look forward to making this on Saturday. I'm also going to try the zucchini pizza bites as they sound really, really good. I look forward to browsing this site to make Weight Watchers fun. It has definitely been bookmarked not only on my laptop, but also my iPad. Thanks Gina!

I came across this yesterday on Pinterest, and knowing i happened to have ALL of the ingredients, made it for dinner last night. It met the high praise of my picky (loves fatty food) husband, and my 11 month-old-son. Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! I'm on Weight Watchers, so a 5 point dinner is always something to be excited for. I found that the 1 cup serving was plenty! I added a small sprinkle of bread crumbs to the top for a little crunch. I plan to make this again many times. Sharing this recipe with my mom and co worker today!

I made this and followed the directions with two exceptions - I cooked the squash in the microwave instead of the oven and I used a block of frozen spinach which I squeezed the heck out of. Mine came out a little bit soupier than the picture. I still liked it, and my five year old ate it up!!! Next time I'll just make sure to cook the squash in the oven - I think that might make the difference!

I made this last night and it came out a bit soupy. However, after placing it in the frig overnight, it was a little better. Just had some for lunch and it was so wonderful! And I was the envy of the office. :) Next time, I'm going to see if I can drain the cooked squash a bit, and then I'm also going to use Sargento cheese as called for in your recipe. That might make a difference - I used a cheap off brand. Thanks for another great recipe!!

Hi Gina, I've been following your blog for a couple of years now and I really appreciate all of the work you put into your recipes and points configuration. I tell all of my friends and family about your site.Question about the spaghetti squash bake - mine came out very watery.....was it because of the fresh spinach? The taste was good - there was just too much liquid. I'm thinking it was due to the spinach being fresh so I will try again using frozen spinach that has been squeezed dry. I loved it otherwise!

My sauce never thickened I think it was because I used almond milk but thats all I had. It came out more like soup than a thick casserole even after baking. Not sure what went wrong. But it smells great and I am sure it will still taste good :)

This was spectacular. I used full-fat sharp cheddar, and it complemented the sweet nuttiness of the spaghetti squash wonderfully. I was tempted to add some thyme while I was making the roux, but decided to stick to the recipe, and I'm so glad I did--I think it would have overpowered the squash.

Tasted sooooo rich, but without the heaviness that overcomes me after eating wheat! Loooove it! Thank you so much for sharing! This was my first recipe, and I'll be sure to be back for more!

I have to admit that I played with the recipe a bit but WOW! It's amazing! So my changes were: potato starch instead of flour (I was worried about cornstarch being too sweet with the sweetness of the squash), left out the chicken broth and added mushrooms. Total winner!

i made this saturday night for dinner and my husband and son gobbled it up. the store didnt have any spaghetti squash, so i used regukar squash and it still worked fine!!! cant wait to try it with spaghetti squash

I made this Saturday for myself (no one else in my house would try it)and it was delicious. I also made your Garlic Lovers Roast Beef on Super Bowl Sunday. I did get a thumbs up from everyone on that. Thanks for such great and heathly recipes!

THIS IS SO GOOD. Even better than your skinny broccoli mac n cheese which I LOVED!! Everyone loved this. AHHH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE! It's awesome!! I also added mushrooms and it was delicious.

I made this the other night...AWESOME! Everyone loved it. Will def make this again! Maybe add some shredded chicken to it! Also going to try the cheese sauce to my a skinny version of my scalloped potatoes!

I halved the recipe because A) there are only two of us, and B) I only had one spaghetti squash. I also used a shallot instead of the onion because I am not big on onion flavor, and I added some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick. It's delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!

Love the previous ideas that some made regarding adding items in...chicken, mushrooms,red pepper flakes. Made this last night (as it appears here) and I wanted to eat it all! YUM! Wow! Simply adding new items in makes it all that more fun. Another keeper, Gina!

So I just started working out in the early am before work. With two kids and working more than full time, early morning is the best time for me. Anyway, talk about starving during the day. I am really hungry. But because I have this site and learned so many tricks, I not gaining weight. Yet I eat more! THANK YOU! Making this for dinner tomorrow. Perfect!

WOW, all I can say is this was incredibly delicious!! We had it two nights in a row. First night as an entree and second night as a side dish! All gone now! My husband raved about it too! I also added a few cloves of minced garlic and used a horseradish cheddar cheese (unfortunately not a low fat version). You would never know this was spaghetti squash! Tasted like angel hair pasta! I can't wait to make this again. I also used frozen spinach instead of fresh as I didn't have the fresh on hand. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!

I did add jalapeños, which I highly recommend. I put them in while making the sauce (before adding the liquid ingredients) and the flavor was really apparent throughout the dish without being too spicy. A perfect improvisation!